Into the Unknown
by LLAngel
Summary: Yugi and friends are transported to a world of fantasy and adventure. Follow them as they learn about their new abilities and fight evil within this strange new MMORPG world. Can they figure out how to get home and learn why they were sent here in the first place? They will fight, transcend their limits, maybe even find love in this wonderful new world! Multiple character ships.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Thank you for showing interest in this Isekai based story. As the summary suggests our characters will be trasnported into a fantasy based MMORPG! I intend this fic to be an epic tale that just keeps going so I hope ya'll enjoy the adventures they'll be having! Quick note before we start: this takes place AFTER season 5, however instead of returning to the spirit world Atem received his own body and now lives with Yugi and his friends. There will be multiple character shippings, some course language and possibly sex scenes.. not sure yet. Definitely fantasy themes and fun fightings! If you've played MMORPG's before you'll understand and have fun with whats going to be going on. Hurray for anime meeting gaming! **

"Please, no one can beat me at DDR." Tea said confidently as she danced, moving her feet in complicated steps and twirling expertly. Mai was her opponent and both moved very well, keeping in time with one another but eventually Mai just couldnt keep up and Teas score sky rocketed until the song was over.

"Wow Tea you sure can move." Duke said as he applauded.

"Thanks! I've been playing this game since before I could walk." Tea said as she politely took the bottle of water Yugi offered her.

"Yeah well she might have dance moves but I've got her beat in duel monster moves." Mai said with a wink as she took the bottle Joey offered her.

They laughed happily until they heard awe struck noises coming from outside and noticed almost everyone leaving to see what was happening.

"I wonder what's gotten into them." Duke said, blinking.

"Let's check it out." Yugi said as he lead the way. Unfortunately the crowd was so dense they could barely make their way through without being stepped on or separated. Yugi pouted. He hated being so short.

"Make way, make way. Duke Devlin coming through." Duke said loudly and the crowd parted like the seas for him and his friends to follow through.

At the front of the crowd stood a man on a pedestal, throwing out pamphlets and shouting through a megaphone about a new game.

Atem caught a pamphlet and showed it to Yugi. It looked like a fantasy rpg game but no where did it say what platform it was on or where it was played or how… only the name: Fantallity, where fantasy meets reality. Atem and Yugi shared an puzzled look with one another when the man continued speaking.

"This game is not for the feint hearted; it requires courage, strength and no short amount of guts. But if you don't believe me! Then with flyer only I am giving all a one day trial. Why one day? Because that's all you'll need to see for yourself. I guarantee that after one day you'll be hooked and if your not then your 100% entitled to 1 absolutely free game of your choice! So save those pamphlets and come down to my arcade for your day trial or free game!" The man declared loudly. He threw something on the ground and smoke appeared to choke the crowd, only when it was gone so was he.

"That trick is so lame." Tea said unimpressed.

"Yeah but a free game might be pretty cool." Yugi said innocently.

"Yugi your grandfather owns a game shop." Duke pointed out. "And so do I!"

"Yeah but this could be fun. I'd be keen to at least see what it is even if we dont try it." Yugi said.

"I agree with Yugi. What have we got to lose by checking it out?" Atem asked.

"I'm interested." Joey said happily.

"Alright! Then let's go find this arcade!" Tristan said as he punched the air.

"Wait a minute guys. Do we all need a pamphlet?" Tea asked.

"It doesn't say 'single use only'" Yugi said as he read the pamphlets small print closely.

"Good enough for me. If they don't like it they should put it on there." Mai said as she fanned herself with her own pamphlet.

The followed the directions on the pamphlet until they found a large warehouse shaped building, like a convention centre. Construction walls and scaffolding was still in place as workers continued their work on the building, sprucing it up for the new game arena supposedly inside but it was ready and accessible on the inside.

Tall ceilings and colorful spotlights shone around in crazy patterns. The floor space was wide and open, with various arcade machines making isles and a cafe off to the side with what appeared to be themed maids serving the customers. Cosplayers walked around in various medieval themes such as mages, warriors, rogues… they interacted freely with those dressed normally, they must be staff.

"Hey Duke why don't you have cosplaying staff?" Joey asked cheekily.

"Are you offering? That fur suit is still available for a certain blonde." Duke jibed. Mai laughed and Joey glared and pouted.

"Well hello masters. Welcome to the Lobby! What can I do for you today?" One of the cosplayers said sweetly to them, bowing deeply before them. She wore gray cat ears, a gray fox tail and very little fur clothing. She looked up and her eyes sparkled when she saw Yugi holding the pamphlet. She took his hands in hers and sparkled.

"You must be here for Fantallity! It's such a great game I just know you'll love it. I've logged hundreds of hours already and I loved it that much I started working here! Let me show you how to get started!" She said rapidly to him. He blushed and giggled nervously.

"Thanks. Yes please." He said nervously.

She held onto Yugi's hand as she gave them a tour, being sure to bring every topic she could back to Fantality. From what they could gather it seemed like an MMORPG set in a fantasy period. It sounded like it utilised the new VR tech coming out but they couldn't be sure yet, whenever they asked Vicky - their tour guide- kept dodging the question and hinted that they'd have to wait and see.

She lead them to a room finally, swiping her staff card to allow access through the techy sliding door. Inside the room were plated walls with strips of white lights running around the edges. Bed like pods were sprawled neatly in rows, powered by thick power cords and surrounded by various monitors. There was a control station manned by several people in headsets and lab coats. It looked uncomfortably familiar as they remembered the virtual worlds they had been in twice before. Suddenly Yugi wasn't so keen to try this one out; the last two times they had been pulled into the virtual world they needed to save the world from corporate thugs that wanted their bodies.

"This is Fatality. Where Fate meets reality. Now I know what you're thinking… this looks a bit too much to be a game, how are you supposed to play it without coming here every day? Well… never fear because once you try it out-"

The sliding door behind them beeped and Vicky let go of Yugi's hand, stepping backwards as the lights dimmed.

"You won't have to come back." She finished.

"What's going on?" Tristan asked as the room began to rumble like thunder.

Lightning began to crack from the ceiling, narrowly missing Joey.

"Nyeh! Hey what's with the light show?!" He screamed.

"Be careful Joey!" Mai said as she pulled on his arm.

They moved to get out but the sliding door wasn't budging at all.

"Maybe we need her staff card!" Tristan suggested.

"Alright lady, hand over the card. Let us out!" Joey demanded.

She giggled and more lightning struck around them.

"We should probably find some cover!" Tea said loudly.

"Right, over there!" Yugi said as he pointed towards a lower ceiling which would have been the floor to an observation deck. Just as they stepped forward though a crack of lightning struck Yugi down to his core.

"YUGI!" They screamed as he let out a Yelp of pain and fell limply into Atems arms.

Atem moved him onto his back only he too was struck and together they both fell to the floor unconscious.

"No! Atem!" Tea shrieked.

One by one after that the lightning increased and struck them all until they were all laying unconscious, and only then did the lightning cease.


	2. Chapter 2

Yugi cracked open his eyes and was greeted by the pounding headache behind his eyes. He tried to shake it off as he took in his surroundings. He was in a dense rainforest of towering trees and damp mulch. He could barely see the blue sky ahead through the canopies and everywhere around him he heard various birds and calls but he couldnt see any animals, nor his friends. He was alone here. But that wasnt all: his clothing had changed too. His comfortable leather getup he enjoyed wearing was replaced with ripped linen, muddied from the ground beneathe him. It barely covered his midriff and the pants were torn at his knees. He looked almost like an urchin but at least it was something.

"Atem!" He called out but his voice was drowned by the trees.

He heard rustling nearby and looked. The Bush nearby was moving and he waited, heart pounding. Was it a person, his friends? Or an animal?

To answer his musings two yellow eyes appeared followed by a furry black muzzle snarling at him.

His eyes widened as he looked upon the creature stalking him down, preparing himself for the meal he was about to have and all Yugi could do was slowly back away, one careful step at a time until he heard the snap of a twig under his foot.

He had less than a second to move out of the way of the cat as it lunged towards him, claws spread and mouth wide as it's roar echoed through the trees.

He ducked and ran, weaving between trees and jumping over logs and bushes as it chased him down. He heard and felt the thump of it's paws as it hit the ground and knew it was close behind him but thankfully the trees offered him some protection.

"HELP! SOMEONE HELP ME!" He yelled desperately. He had no idea if anyone was even nearby to hear him, or if his voice went unheard but he tried anyway as the cat gained it's ground, nipping at his ankles as he dodged it's claws.

Finally he saw a bright light and ran towards it, hoping that perhaps the Jaguar would be dissuaded from leaving the forest or that there was some kind of civilisation he could get help from. He ran as quickly as he could, his heart already burning from the sudden amount of exercise and his legs were quickly threatening to turn into jelly, but if he stopped now he'd be cat food. Just a little farther.

"HELP ME! PLEASE!" He shouted wildly but as he did he tripped and slid against the moist leaf litter and mud. He turned in time to roll out of the way of the Jaguar's pounce but it's claws managed to slash his shoulder. Yugi screamed and immediately grabbed his arm as if that would stop the pain and blood but the Jaguar seemed unphased, rearing his teeth and growling as it wiggled in preparing to pounce again. Instinct called to him and he moved in time to keep running towards the light.

One last jump over a bush and he was out of the forest to be met with blue sky and wide green fields of luscious grass, dotted with the occasional tree or shrubbery. No buildings though and now he was in a wide open space with a hungry predator on his heels; perhaps he was better off in the forest.

"Yugi!" He heard his name being called in surprise but his attention was quickly on the Jaguar that had pounced onto him, pushing him violently onto the ground.

Using his legs and arms he was able to keep the Jaguar from ripping his throat out and biting his face but his claws dug into skin painfully, ripping at his body.

"YUGI!" He heard their screams again, this time in terror.

"HELP ME!" He screamed loudly as he pushed the cat off him but as he did he felt his hands grow hot and a burst of fire sent the Jaguar rolling backwards off him. He shook his head, hissed at him and ran off into the forest, quickly blending in with the mystery of its darkness.

"Yugi are you okay?" Joey asked as he slid in beside him quickly, making Yugi jump in fright.

"I'm… I've been better." Yugi responded as he laid back down, allowing his heart and lungs to rest as his skin burned where the Jaguar had scratched him.

"How did you do that?" Atem asked him as he knelt down on his other side.

"Do what?" Yugi asked.

"The fire Yug, that was awesome." Joey exclaimed.

"Oh… I don't know… it just happened." Yugi said tiredly.

"Woah!" Atem said in surprise. Yugi followed his gaze to the wound on his arms as they glowed brightly. Steam seemed to come from them but soon the wound was healed, leaving only the blood that was beginning to dry on his skin.

"Wow you're healing." Joey said happily.

"That's… thats good. I'm just… gonna pass out...now." Yugi said tiredly. He closed his eyes and focused on trying to regulate his breathing but Atem and Joey both shook him awake quickly.

"Yugi stay with us!" Joey said frightfully.

Yugi pushed him off him annoyedly and glared a little at him.

"I'm fine Joey, just need to catch my breath." Yugi complained.

"Oh, good." Joey said bashfully.

"I hope the others are okay. You and I were lucky but if there are predators out here I'd hate to think the others are in similar situations Yugi was in." Atem said.

Yugi looked around now and saw it was only Atem and Joey that was with him, the others must have been elsewhere.

Atem and Joey wore the same clothes that Yugi wore, of course now Yugi's was more torn and muddied than before but now sported a dark red in places.

"Maybe we should try to find them." Yugi said as he lifted himself up to sit.

"Yeah but where do we start?" Joey asked. "Where ever we are is massive and I don't particularly want to go in that forest knowing what's in there."

"Not without some kind of equipment anyway." Atem agreed.

"Oh hey but Yugi can use fire so he can at least fight them off right?" Joey said excitedly.

"I have no idea how I did that though Joey, for a moment I actually thought it was one of you." Yugi said.

"Hmm, well whatever we do, we can't stay here forever." Joey said.

Yugi stood up with them and looked around, properly able to take in his surroundings.

The world was wide, vast and beautiful. If he hadn't recently been run down by a Jaguar he'd be convinced this world was therapeutic in its tranquility. In the distance was a village they could at least go to for food, shelter and hopefully some answers as to where they were. He figured they were inside the game, but he'd like a confirmation somehow. At least someone to explain the rules and limitations of this world.

"Why don't we go to that town over there and see what we can find out. Maybe the others are there too or will make there way after us." Yugi suggested as he pointed off towards the town.

"What town?" Atem asked. That was weird, it was a bit far but Atems eyes were keener than his.

"Oh I see it, but it's very far though are you sure it's a town?" Joey asked as he squinted.

"Yeah there are buildings and everything. You can't see it?" Yugi asked Atem. He shook his head after a while of squinting and shrugged.

"Nothing but faded hills. But we don't have anything else to go on aside from the forest behind us." He said.

"Alright, lets go check it out." Joey said as he lead the way.


	3. Chapter 3

They walked for what felt like forever when Atem finally announced that he could see it. By now Yugi could almost make out barrels and people walking and Joey claimed he could only see the faded silhouettes of the buildings now… this was weird how their line of sights were so different. Why could he see so far but Atem couldn't? It was strange considering how much sharper his senses were.

"I can't believe you could see this from back there." Atem said quietly. It was more a thought than a prompt for conversation so Yugi ignored it, also wondering the same thing.

They finally got to the town though and immedietly felt very underdressed. Everyone was in light clothings such as coloured tunics, loose pants tied with rope or cords, the women wore brightly coloured dressed with aprons on and even the children wore proper clothing. The guards stood tall and patrolled the dirt streets in their plate and leather armour, carrying spears, swords, shields and bows. The town wasn't rich, but nor was it poor either. Everyone moved about their business, trading with one another, swapping gossip or barking commands, but not a single one looked homeless or unemployed or without purpose. Yugi, Joey and Atem though fit that bill perfectly as they walked around the streets, taking in the sights and smells with no other business of their own to mind. One thing stood out to Yugi though; they were newcomers, tourists, strangers dressed in rags, covered in sweat, mud and blood… but no one spared them a second glance. They moved out of their way if they saw them coming but otherwise acted as if it were normal to see strangers dressed in rags in their town.

"Maybe we should ask around?" Yugi asked them.

Joey walked off to a couple of people talking by a bakery and when he approached they stopped their conversation to look him up and down, assessing his intentions.

"Hey folks! I was wondering if you could help me." Joey said happily.

"We dont have any coin to spare boy. If you want to beg you're best to do it away from here." The man in the shop window said gruffly, turning his nose up to him.

"What? Oh no! I dont want food. I want to know where we are. See my friends and I are new here and -"

"If your not here to buy then I'm not here to chat. If you have questions you can take it up at the visitors center." The man said as he pointed off down the road. They saw a building with a blue roof and a sandwich sign on the road that read "ye older visitors center".

The Baker then slammed his window closed and other person walked away with a loaf of bread in her basket.

"Thanks…" Joey said grumpily as he returned. "He was rude. See if he'll be getting my business any time soon."

"Unless we find out how to get money no one will be getting our business. Come on, let's go." Yugi said and lead the way down the road.

They entered the visitors center which had a few people standing around looking at news papers and flyers, others were in the midst of their own conversations, but what they wanted was to see the person behind the barred counter.

They stood in line waiting to be seen but the person never looked up from their desk until Joey cleared his throat and they were asked to come over.

"Hi, sorry. We had some questions and we were hoping you might be able to help us."

The person looked them all up and down, judging them by their appearance before nodding to herself. She ducked down under her desk for a while before eventually coming back up with three backpacks, large enough for a stack of pamphlets each and what felt like various other items.

"Your starter kitsch. Inside you'll find everything you need to get started. If you have any further questions and would like to speak to a game master come back and take a ticket." She said, pointing to the ticket box by the door. She then closed her window and they were left on their own.

"Hmm. Well if I had to critique I'd say the people here could be more friendly." Joey complained as he hitched his bag over his shoulder.

"She said game master, so this is definitely some kind of virtual reality game then." Yugi stated.

"It would be nice to get some kind of explanation." Atem complained.

"Yeah theres absolutely no hand holding here. Let's go look at what we got." Yugi said.

They walked back out of the visitors center and stood to the side so they wouldnt be in the way.

Inside Yugis bag he found a couple of different coloured potions, a loaf of bread, a map and a loosely bound book. Atem and Joey had the same thing in theirs.

Joey opened his map and immediately found the town with their names on it outside the visitors center.

"Hey cool, it shows us where we are." Joey said excitedly.

"Does it work in real time?" Yugi asked. He jogged over to the other side of the road with his own map and saw his little circle move away from Atem and Joey's. "Cool! I dont see anyone else though so I wonder if it only works if we are in a party." Yugi said as he came back over.

"That will be useful when we find the others." Atem said as he opened his own book.

"These look like tutorials, info about the game. Finally." He said as he poured through the contents.

"What does it say about leaving the game?" Yugi asked.

"You want to leave?" Joey asked.

"Not until we find the others but its be good to know right?" Yugi said.

"It doesnt say anything about leaving." Atem said as he skimmed through the pages.

"Yugi? Atem! Joey!" They heard the happy voice of Tea behind them. She was accompanied by Tristan, Duke and Mai who like them all wore the same low level clothing.

"Mai!" Joey said in excitement. He ran to her picking her up by her hips and spinning her around.

"Ah! Joey! Dont pick me up!" Mai squealed. When he put her down she raced to fix her skirt while glaring at him.

"These skirts are so short!" She complained.

"I'm not complaining." Duke said, whistling away his innocence as Tea smacked his arm.

"I'm so glad you guys are here!" Yugi said happily.

"Did you have any trouble getting here?" Atem asked.

"No. We woke up just outside town." Tea said. "Yugi! You're hurt!" She squeaked.

"Huh?" Yugi looked to his clothes then and realised she had seen the dried blood. "Oh, no I'm fine. I was attacked earlier but I'm okay, really."

"Yeah Yugis got some kind of healing ability. As well as some sweet fire moves." Joey said happily.

"Fire?" Tristan said in surprise.

"I dont know how it happened though." Yugi said bashfully, blushing slightly.

"Oh it says here you just need to concentrate. To use magic abilities that is you just need to will it to happen, assuming you know the spell that is." Atem said as he continued reading the book.

"Oh! Well I probably shouldnt try it in town." Yugi said.

"Sweet, so you must be some kind of mage then Yugi." Duke said.

"A mage?"

"Yeah. Weve already read through some of the book. There are 4 different types of players and they're separated by various classes. A mage is obviously a ranged damage type of player." Duke explained.

"Do you know what you guys are?" Atem asked.

"I'm a kind of rogue. I can sneak, pick pocket, eaves drop… there are loads of useful things I can do. Tea's a healer. I don't know what Mai is and Tristan seems to be some kind of NPC…" Duke said.

"Hey!" Tristan snapped to which Duke laughed.

"Is there a way to find out what we are?" Yugi asked.

"Yes. We were just on our way there now. Theres a class trainer nearby which is where we go to start leveling up. They can put us on our first quest and tell us what we are." Duke answered.

"Yeah, so let's go! The quicker we level the sooner we will get better gear and out of these skirts." Mai complained.

Together they followed Duke down a street and into a large stone building with guards, training dummies, sparring soldiers, various weapons on display. Inside were tapestries and bookshelves, weapon racks, armour racks, display cases with medals and trinkets inside them. It was very cool to look at but they kept walking until they met with a stocky man, taller than all of them. He had grey hair, a scratchy beard and an eye patch over one eye. He looked intimidating and if they're experience with the other townsfolk told them anything he was not a man to mess with, but upon seeing them all his hard demeanor changed to one of joy and excitement.

"Oh! You must be the fresh blood! Captain Graywolf at your service. I've never seen you kids before so you must be here for initiation. But I'm afraid you wont be able to proceed with my training until you've undergone evaluation. So! Turn around, march up those stairs and talk to Madam Seer! When your done with her return to me your sigil and I'll get ya started!" He said loudly, his voice booming but happy. He was surprisingly pleasant which shocked them all.

They did as he said without even thinking about it.

Up the stairs they were met with a dim light. The windows were blacked out, the chandelier broken. Only candles lit this floor and there were few of those. A woman dressed in coloured robes and jewellery sat at a single table and beckoned them over once she saw them.


	4. Chapter 4

"Welcome, welcome. Please, come closer." She said slowly, her voice dripping with excitement. "You are here for evaluation. Who will be first." She asked, waving her hand to the seat opposite her with her jewelled skeletal hands.

They hesitated but Mai eventually sat down.

"Your name, child?" The woman asked.

"Mai Valentine." Mai answered.

"Mai. Pretty name, for an even prettier girl. My name is Madam Seer. To be evaluated I will need your hand." She said as she placed her hands on the table for Mai to place hers onto. When she did Madam Seer gentle took a needle and pricked her finger before dropping the blood into a bowl of water before her.

Mai took her hand back, sucking on her finger as the water swirled.

"Ahh, yes. You are powerful my sweet. You are a ranged damage dealer, a controller of beasts and the wild. A druid if you will. A noble and humble class of mystery and magic." Madam Seer said happily.

"A druid? I was hoping for something more feisty…"

Madam seer giggled. "Dont be quick to judge, there is more to a druid than tending trees my dear. You will learn all, in time. Take this to Captain Graywolf downstairs when you are ready." MADAM seer said as she handed her a silver coin with a claw mark on it.

Next was Tristan and he did the same thing by giving her his hand to prick.

"You are a sturdy protector. Often the first into battle to protect your comrades. A brave warrior." Madam seer said approvingly as she passed him a silver coin with a shield on it.

"Neat! Now who's the NPC!" Tristan joked to Duke who mocked him as he sat down.

"I think I know what I am but I'm gonna need one of those coins too."

"Ah, a rogue, gambler, thief.. assassin. You are a creature that stalks the darkness to get what he wants. A cunning strategist and master of traps. People will be untrusting of you but you have no need of their trust." Madam seer said as she passed him a silver coin with a dagger on it.

Tea was next.

"Sweet girl, you are a healer. You will want to be very careful travelling alone as healers are easy prey but invulnerable to any party. With you on their side your comrades will not need to fear too much danger as you will be behind them keeping them alive and free of ailments. For your parties sake they better listen to you and take care of you." Madam Seer said with a cheeky wink as she gave her a silver coin with a plus sign on it.

Joey sat down now and did the same as everyone.

"My boy you are also a protector of sorts. A Dracoknight. A very powerful protector who can control and summon dragons. You have little magical ability and high magical resistance, a valuable ally to have indeed." She said as she gave him a silver coin with the head of a dragon on it.

Atem sat down now and gave her his hand to pick.

"Son you are a very powerful spellcaster. A wielder of the arcane and master of magics and their tricks. You will be very powerful but mind you do not draw too much attention from your protectors, as many will deem you a larger threat." She said as she gave him a silver coin with a star on it.

It was Yugis turn now and he was feeling very good about it. He knew he could use fire, which meant he and Atem must have both been spellcasters. That in itself was exciting.

She took his hand, pricked his finger and waited as the water swirled but when she peered through she looked up to him in surprise and awe.

"My boy…." She said, exasperatedly. She leaned in to whisper to him. "Do you trust your friends?" She asked.

"Of course. With my life." He answered her.

She looked to them all who all looked confused before she nodded. She stood and took something from her bookshelf behind her and passed him his silver coin. It had an egg on it but behind the egg was fire.

"What is this?" He asked.

"You must not make it known what you are. If people are to ask you must lie for your own safety. Tell them you are a spellcaster and they will believe you."

"What am I?" He asked firmly.

"You are an extremely powerful, very rare creature of fire: a Phoenix."

"A Phoenix?!" Duke exclaimed before he clapped his hands to his mouth as Madam Seer glared daggers at him.

"A Phoenix is highly sought after for their power. If any learn there is one nearby, Rare Hunters are sure to be attracted and if they find you they will stop at nothing to capture you. You must be very careful of who you can trust." Madam Seer said to him earnestly.

Yugi stood and looked at his coin… so he wasnt a spell caster but some kind of Phoenix. That was cool but he didnt like being rare and possibly sought after.

"Dont worry Yug, we got ya covered." Joey said as he clapped him on the back.

"Right, as long as we stick together no rare hunters are going to get any of us." Tea said happily.

They headed downstairs and saw Captain Graywolf who took coins one by one and examined them, directing them to where their trainers could be found for their new set of gear and first basic lessons. When he got to Yugi he gave his back and handed him a copper coin with a star on it.

"Yugi, you will give this to the sorcerer trainer. From there they can teach you the basics spell casting but your actual trainer cannot be found in this town. For him you will need to travel out into the world but I wont send you there alone. Your friends will escort you when they are ready. Until then you will join your friend under the guise of a sorcerer. I trust MADAM seer had warned you to he careful?" He asked him. He seemed genuinely concerned now rather than jolly.

"She did." Yugi replied.

"Good. Then go forth! When your training is complete, see me and I will give you directions to your next task!" He said happily again.

"Looks like we'll be training together after all." Atem said happily to him.

"Yup!" Yugi said smiling.

They went their separate ways within the keep, to various rooms or wings to see their own trainers. Yugi followed Atem up a spiral tower until they came to a library of sorts with various robed men reading tomes and scrolls.

They approached someone that wore a particularly fancy robe and greeted them with a warm smile.

"Hello. You must be our newest mages. Welcome to the wizards sanctum. Your coins?" He asked kindly. He was an older man with a long beard and old wooden staff but very kind eyes and demeanor.

Atem and Yugi both gave him their coins and he twirled them around in his palm.

"I see. We have quite the power among us. I will not be able to train you completely young one but I will be able to teach you the basics to survive out there. First, take these, put them on and speak to me." He said as conjured up two backpacks for them.

They took out the robes, shoes and gloves dressed eagerly into them behind a changing screen. The robes were large but once they were on they felt warm and magically adjusted to fit them perfectly. No hemming or needing to be taken in required, it did it itself.

"I could get used to that." Yugi said impressed.

"Tell me about it. Though I would prefer something a little more… fitting." Atem admitted.

"Yeah I miss pants too." Yugi laughed.

"You will get a choice later as you get stronger, for now these robes will grant you magical regeneration and protection." The mage said from the other side of the screen.

They came out and he have them each a plain wooden staff.

"Good. Now, follow me, it's time to learn your first spell." He said he lead them to another room. It was large with 3 training dummies within but nothing else.

"Casting a spell can be difficult at first but you will soon learn that it is as easy as breathing. More often than I care to admit I have woken up casting various spells. With my training they will become as natural to you as walking.

The essence of spell casting relies on clearing your mind and focusing on your will. For this demonstration I want you to choose a dummy and concentrate on throwing a fire ball at it. Do not worry about damaging the dummy. Everything in this room is magic resistant… mostly. Pretend you are throwing a ball… made of fire. Close your eyes, clear your mind and see the ball in your hands." He said.

They chose a dummy, breathed in and out and imagined a fiery ball in their hands. Atem threw his first and hit the dummy, making it spin in place. No scorch Mark's were left but he did it with ease.

"Excellent, you are a natural spell caster my boy. Now, your turn." He said to Yugi.

Yugi followed suit with his own dummy only his fireball exploded on impact, sending parts of the dummy in every which way against wall and floor.

They stood in shock at the result and Yugi bowed in apology quickly.

"I am so sorry!" He said.

"Its… quite alright." The mage said kindly. He waved his hand and all the pieces of the dummy began putting itself back together. "It is safe to say you will not have problems out there, but you must learn to control your magic. If you do not it will be clear to everyone that you are more than you appear. Most mages your level cannot conjure a spell that strong without being anything else. Alas, you will learn these things with practice and from your actual trainer. Now, Atem was it?" He directed himself to Atem.

"I can teach you how to conjure food for your party and how to shield yourself from harm."

"Okay." Atem agreed.

"Conjuring food will use the same principals as conjuring fire. In order to so you must think of something to summon that is edible. For now you are only able to summon basic foods such as bread or fruit, so think of one of those things and place them in this basket." He said as he conjured up a wicker basket and held it before him.

Atem closed his eyes and concentrated. It took a moment and a good deal of frowning but eventually out of the blue dust that sparkled in the basket were 5 red apples, looking shiny and healthy.

"Wow! That's so cool!" Yugi exclaimed. The old man smiled and took one, examining it before magically slicing it open. It looked healthy inside and so he ate a small piece and nodded in approval.

"Very good. With practice you will learn to summon more and use less magic to do so. Now, to summon a shield to protect yourself." He walked away with the basket of apples and then turned to face him.

"Ice will be your friend. Much like a druid or a shaman, the elements are at your command. You will think it out a shield of ice by freezing the air around you. This is different to conjuring as instead of imagining something into reality you are changing what is around you already. The air around you contain water so you will freeze that water to create a barrier." He said as he picked up an apple.

"Okay…" Atem said carefully and concentrated on what he had said. Freezing the air around him, that was difficult. He closed his eyes and felt the air against his skin when suddenly he felt something hit his chest and roll onto the floor. It was an apple, the mage had thrown it at him.

"Concentrate boy. Feel the air around you and freeze it."

"You can do it atem!" Yugi cheered.

He watched him this time and as the next apple was thrown he imagined a shield around him. It lasted for less than a second but it was there… Unfortunately not long enough though as the apple bounced off his head.

"Ow!" He said as he rubbed his forehead.

"Again. Stronger."

Again he threw an apple and again Atem summoned forth the barrier, flinching this time from the apple but it hit the shield instead and rolled along the floor. When he looked he saw it; a freezing shield of ice floating before him. The ice misted off in waves and he could feel its chill through his robes.

"Well done! With practice you will learn to summon a full barrier, even one large enough to protect your party." The mage said as he approached him.

"That's so awesome! I knew you could do it!" Yugi said cheerfully as he came over to 5ouch the shield. Quickly he pulled his fingers away from the cold and Atem lowered the shield.

"That is actually very useful." Atem said happily.

"You have learned the basics. What more I can teach you will have to wait until you have mastered them. You will learn spells on your own as you get stronger but mastering them will take practice and time. Go now to Captain Graywolf and Yugi: do be careful." The mage said.

They left him respectfully and joined their friends as they were finishing their own training. When they were all assembled in their new gear they spoke to Captain Graywolf.

"Good! Here take this. You wont get far without a little coin to help you on your way." He passed them all a little red pouch each that jingled with coins. "Now, Yugi will need to travel to the Mountain Pass of Rebirth. There is a small village at the base of the mountain where you will escort him to but he is the only one who may make the voyage up the mountain. From there he will commence his own training. I will mark the location on the map. When you arrive you are to show the guard at the base of the mountain your silver coin Yugi, only then will you be able to pass. To everyone else, if you choose to escort him there your mission will be complete. Yugis training will take time so I recommend returning here for further training when you have safely seen him to his destination." Captain Graywolf said.

"We cant stay with him as he does this?" Atem asked.

"Only Pheonixs are permitted to make the pilgrimage. His training will take weeks, possibly a month before you see him again. It is worth returning to continue your training too."

"A month?!" Yugi exclaimed.

"Wait, can we be in the game for that long? What about our bodies? How are we supposed to stay here for that long?" Tristan panicked.

"I know what you mean. How do we know how much time passes in the real world while were here." Duke said.

"Maybe we should open a ticket first and ask?" Yugi suggested.

"Wait I remember seeing something in the book earlier." Mai said as she flicked open her book to the frequently asked questions.

"Ah here. While we are in the game our bodies are kept alive and looked after in life support pods back in the game room. Here they receive rest, natural doses of UV, food, water and nutrients so we can spend as much time in this world without worrying. As for the rate of time every hour spent inside the game is equal to approximately 10 minutes in real life."

"So we've only been here for about half an hour?" Yugi asked.

"That's crazy!" Atem said.

"Okay so one month here would only be …. What. Um… wait, 24 hours would be… 240 minutes which is like... umm…" Joey said as he counted on his fingers.

"4 hours. One month here is about 7 days back home." Tea sighed with her hand to her head.  
"7 days… Grandpa's gonna be wondering where we went." Yugi said as he looked to Atem.

"Just another adventure for us." Atem said shrugging.

"Alright, maybe we should get back to the matter at hand. Yugi's training. Where do we need to go?" Duke asked.

"To a small village named Blue Flame. It's at the base of the mountain where the Pheonix's sanctuary resides. Blue Flame is well known for its harboration of young Pheonix's and thus the road there is often looked upon by Rare Hunters. The town itself is protected by the Pheonix's so once there you will be safe, but you must be weary on your travels. If you want my advice, do not tell anyone you are heading to the town itself but rather in the direction of. There are few reasons people will travel to that town and more oft than not it is because one of their party is an ill-trained Phoenix." Captain Graywolf said.

"Okay… ah here!" Joey said as he pointed to a mountain on the map with a yellow arrow. "That must be where we're headed."

"Right. It looks quite a distance but we can manage." Atem said with a smile.

"On your way adventurers, would you mind giving this letter to Captain Whitemane. She is in a town along the way called Water Haven. Please refrain from looking at the note, just give it to her and say it's from me. You will be rewarded for this." Captain Graywolf said as he held out an envelope with his seal on it.

Duke took it from him and placed it safely in one of his many pockets on his hip.

"Right. I'll not keep you much longer. The sooner you make it to Blue Flame the better. Do not tarry. Stay near the roads at night and stick together. We need more heroes like you in our lands. You will learn why in time. Be careful, be smart and most importantly have fun!" Captain Graywolf said cheerfully in his bellowing voice and laughter.

They saluted him and left the barracks, back onto the dirt paths of the town.


	5. Chapter 5

"Okay, shall we?" Tristan asked.

"Which direction do we need to go?" Yugi asked as he peered over Joey's hands to look at the map.

"Uhhh…. Well if we're facing this way…" He said as he turned around on the spot until he was facing towards where they had first appeared. "That way should take us closer to the mountain."

"Where is Water Haven?" Mai asked as she peeked over his shoulder.

"Uhh… there."

"It took us about an hour to get from the forest to here, which means judging by the distance it might take us about 2 hours to get to Water Haven." Atem said as he looked at his own map.

"If it takes us 2 hours to get there by foot, then it should take us 2...3 days to get to the Mountain." Duke said as he looked at Atem's too.

"Thats not too bad. We can stay out of danger for 3 days…" Yugi said quietly.

"Yeah, and maybe there's a carriage or something we can take that'd make that time quicker." Joey suggested.

"Alright, well first things first, we gotta find Water Haven. Let's go, we can learn more about this game on the way." Duke said happily.

They followed a dirt road that should have been going in the direction of water haven. The map uncovered more of their surroundings as they cleared the fog of war and along the way Atem practiced making fire balls float on his palm for fun while Joey talked enthusiastically about taming a dragon.

The world they were in was beautiful. The luscious green fields were vast and dotted with coloured flowers, berry bushes and wild animals grazing happily. The lamp posts along the road were old fashioned. The forest to the northwest of them was the same forest Yugi had appeared in. He knew what dangers lurked in there and wondered if they would need to venture into that forest for anything. He hoped not for a while though he felt more confident with proper clothing and his friends with him now.

In the distance ahead of them he could see a village. It was no larger than the one they had come from only this one had a wooden wall around it and guard towers erected outside the perimeter. He saw only one tall building however.

"At least we know we're headed in the right direction." Yugi said. Atem followed his gaze and put away his fire ball but cocked an eyebrow.

"Are you seeing the village?" He asked.

"Yeah, are you not?"

"Nope. Nothing but the horizon line and faint mountains… I think they're mountains." Atem said.

"Yeah they're mountains. Theres snow on them too." Yugi said as he peered over at the mountains even farther from the village. "I wonder why I can see so far but you cant."

"You can see all that?" Tea asked him.

"Guess you cant either." Yugi blinked.

"I can. I cant see snow but I can see the village." Joey said.

"So can I." Mai said.

"Not me." Tristan said.

"I can see the village… not the mountain. Maybe it's got something to do with our classes." Duke supposed.

"That must be it!" Tea agreed.

"I wonder if theres a way to check our stats and info." Joey said as he flipped his coin into the air and caught it. As he did a holographic screen showed up before him, coming from the coin. The screen showed his name, his class and level, basic stats and class abilities.

"Wow!"

"That's so cool, how did you do that?" Yugi asked in excitement as they looked at the screen around him.

"I dunno. I just caught my coin." Joey said. "Hey cool look. According to dis I've got heightened sense of sight and hearing. I think your right about those class abilities Duke."

Everyone got their coins out except for Yugi and momentarily they all had their own screens.

"Yep it doesnt have anything about increased sight on mine. But I do have the ability to sense magic though." Atem said pleasantly.

"I wonder what that does." Yugi wondered.

"I dont know but if I were to guess I would think it might allow me to sense magical items, users maybe, spells and illusions perhaps." Atem suggested.

"That's so cool. Your class sounds like so much fun!" Yugi said excitedly.

"I'd like to know more about your class Yugi. But I suppose its safer to keep it hidden for now." Atem told him.

"We are alone at the moment, I'm sure its safe enough to bring up your stats screen Yug." Joey said.

"Yeah?" Yugi asked excitedly. They moved to surround him so if anything his screen would be hidden and he brought up his own screen with his pheonix coin.

"Yugi Moto. Pheonix. Hero class, that's so cool!" Tea read.

"Extreme sense of sight. That explains a lot." Joey said happily.

"Self healing and mana regeneration. That's useful." Duke noted.

"Tea in that case it might be worth focusing on everyone else seeing as I can heal myself." Yugi suggested.

"Right. I'll still help if I can though." Tea said smiling.

"Pheonix Burst unknown. I wonder what that is." Atem said curiously.

"I dont know but it sounds powerful. It's in it's own space too, maybe it's an ability. Like a Hero power?" Duke suggested.

Yugi touched the name of the ability and details of it came up before him.

"Of all the spells in a Pheonixs arsenal none is more powerful or volatile than Pheonix Burst. Pheonix Burst is a unique Hero ability allowing 100% mana regeneration and spell power at the cost of 100% defence. During this mode the Pheonix becomes an almost unstoppable force of nature with the ability to mass resurrect their allies while bringing total destruction on their enemies. This ability is channelled for 1 minute during which time the Pheonix loses all movement and defence abilities and becomes very vulnerable to damage. If damage is sustained during this channel the Pheonix will sustain critical damage however if the channel is successful the full fury of the Pheonix will be devastating." Yugi read aloud for them.

"Wow… it says unknown though, suppose you need a certain level to learn it?" Atem asked.

"Maybe. Guess we'll find out soon enough." Yugi said as he pocketed his coin and his screens went away.

"Well I'm just happy weve got you on our side. I'd hate to fight a Pheonix in Pheonix Burst mode." Tristan said happily.

They kept walking then, still looking at one anothers abilities and trying out ones they didnt know they had. Atem found out he could summon a familiar and while they walked he tried to summon one but his spell kept shortening out until he felt his magic ability was low.

Mai learned the type of Druid she was was akin to an animal whisperer. She could call and control beasts and empower herself with various animal aspects to aid her in her own fighting. She was versatile and ever changing with the ability to heal using the spirits of the forests, fight with the ferocity of the wild or take a few hits with the strength of the earth. For now she enjoyed the twin daggers she was given so could fight with the wild. They made her a close range fighter with high maneuverability.

After just over an hour of relaxed walking they reached Water Haven. Behind it were farms and rivers and through it were yet smaller streams and ponds. Water Haven was an apt name for it it seems.

The guards allowed them entry and much like the previous town many people went about their business.

They walked to a stone building that looked similar to the barracks and inside they found Captain Whitemane, a young woman with white long hair and buff armour.

She looked at them with an unimpressed expressed and waited to hear their reason to interrupt her.

Duke pulled out the letter from Graywolf and handed it to her.

"We have a letter to Captain Whitemane from Captain Graywolf." He said politely. She snatched it from him, read it and crumpled it up before tossing it in the fire.

"You may tell the good Captain that I would sooner be interested in Arachnid soldiers than him." She said. "I suppose you were promised a reward though. Take these and be sure to deliver that message for me." She said gruffly as she handed them each a pouch of coins. She left then out of sight and they were free to leave.

"Nice, that was easy." Joey cheered.

"Yeah and we got some more money! I wonder what there is to spend this on." Tea wondered.

"Let's have a look around. We can probably wait here for a while before we set off again, right Yug?" Joey asked him to which Yugi blinked.

"Yeah, but why are you asking me?"

"Cause it's your training-" he went to say when Duke smacked the back of his head. "Ow!"

"Be careful!" Duke scolded him.

"Yeah that's fine. I dont mind. Actually… is there another town between here and there?" Yugi wondered as he pulled out his map. "I cant see one but it's hard to tell with so much of it unexplored."

"Well let's ask someone while we look around. Meet back here soon?" Tea suggested.

"Yeah!"


	6. Chapter 6

Atem, Yugi and Tea stuck together as they found a tailor's shop and began browsing. Tea tried on a lot of different robes with managers regeneration on them and got them both to tell her what they thought. All of them were flattering on her but they honestly weren't sure how to tell her without feeling embarrassed about it. One in particular they both liked a lot: a silken red robe, high in the neck and with a gold trim, form fitting around her stomach and hips and a single high split up the thigh. It made them both blush heavily upon see her but she didnt feel comfortable with how high the split went and decided not to get it.

Atem purchased a new outfit for himself: a pair of dark purple satin pants and a matching tunic that had attached to it a long skirt at the back. It was like a robe only his legs were free from a full skirt. He looked very sharp in it and a lot more formidable now too. Unfortunately only Sorcerers could wear it so Yugi politely declined his own pair and held onto his money.

Instead he chose to purchase a spell casting sword from the blacksmith. It was a one handed steel sword with enchantments along the blade to increase spell power and critical damage. It felt light in his hands and easy to use which he liked.

"It looks awesome Yugi just dont go swinging it around us okay?" Tea joked.

"I'll be careful. Besides I wanted to try something when we set out again."

"Yeah?" Atem asked.

"Yep." Yugi smiled.

They left and soon found Joey with Mai as she browsed jewellery.

"Hey guys!" He said excitedly as he saw them approaching. "Nice get up Atem." He added.

"Ooh very snazzy." Mai winked at him.

"Thank you. What are you up to?" Atem asked.

"Looking at Trinkets. Deciding which one to go for is difficult without knowing my class too well. But I think I might go with this one. It's supposed to increase agility and speed." Mai said as she held up a large pendant the size of her palm in the shape of a cats head.

"Good choice ma'am. Would the lady like anything else?"

"Why did you say ma'am? Do I look old to you?!" Mai asked angrily.

The shop clerk blinked and bowed to her. "No ma'am you look lovely. I meant no harm." He stammered.

She gave him 2 gold pieces and snatched up her new cat trinket and turned from him.

"Good! Now… where does this go?"

"You bought it without knowing where to put it?" Joey asked.

"Joey if you dont help me out I'll show you where to put it." Mai said as she shoved the cat in his hands.

"Alright… here. Why not…. Here?" He asked as he clipped it onto her belt where it hung on her hip. She smiled, satisfied.

"Thank you." She said sweetly.

"Tea did you want to check out the trinkets?" She asked her then.

"Yeah! Anything for priests?" She asked the clerk. He promptly showed her his healing wares and she began browsing.

"I see you got a fancy sword Yugi." Mai said to him. He smiled and took it off his hip to show them properly.

"Yeah it's for spellcasters. Its light too, here feel it." He said as he offered it to them.

"Wow! That's so cool." Joey said. "I want a sword!"

"The blacksmiths just over there, we can go take a look." Yugi suggested and he sheathed his sword again.

"Yugi, look at this." Tea said then as she took his arm and dragged him over.

"Why dont we go look at the weapons for Joey while Tea decides what she wants." Mai suggested and she began to push Joey away.

"Uhh… yeah. Hey Atem, come help me pick." Joey said quickly as he took his arm before he could protest.

"I like this one, but this one helps with mana regeneration. What do you think?" She asked as she held two necklaces to her neck. One was silver with an opal jeweled owl on it. The other was also silver but had a bright red ruby pendant. That one hung lower on her, almost down her cleavage. He blushed heavily and looked away so he wouldnt be caught staring when she bent over to get his attention. He could almost see down her dress now which made him feel very hot and awkward now. He was glad the others weren't here to see him squirm like this.

"Umm. Mana regeneration seems good to have. I mean, I dont know how quickly you'll go through mana but being the only healer in our group I'd say it couldnt hurt to have." He said stiffly.

She beamed and placed the ruby necklace back down.

"I'll take the owl one please." Tea said happily. She paid the man and they walked away.

"Can you put it on for me?" She asked him, gently holding her hand out for him to take the necklace.

"Sure. Turn around." He said.

She turned and bent down so he could reach her neck. As he was clipping the necklace though he still felt warm and rigid being behind her like this, with full view of her bare neck. Hed never felt this flustered around her before, he wasnt sure why now all of a sudden he did. But he hid his feelings, clipped the necklace and smiled at her.

"Looks good on you." He said happily

Her eyes sparkled as a blush crept onto her face.

"Thank you Yugi. Let's go see how Joey's doing." She said happily.

"Hey!" Duke called to them then.

"Oh hey Duke!" Yugi said happily as he reached them.

"So I found out the next town is about 4 hours north by foot."

"Four hours?!" Tea complained.

"We can do that. We'll rest when we get there." Yugi said confidently.

"I also picked up a quest for us on the way."

"Oh yeah, what do we need to do?" Yugi asked.

"Investigate a cave just off the road. Apparently some kids were playing near there but one of them got lost."

"Oh no! We have to go look!" Tea exclaimed.

"We will. Let's get the others and head out." Yugi said.

They didn't take long to find the others and leave. They were all conveniently finished with their business in town by the time they found Tristan talking to some women. They followed Duke out of the village as he told them what he had learned. The cave was supposed to be about 15 minutes up the road but off the beaten track a little so they would need to find it.

Along the way Yugi walked with his sword out, hand over the blade as he thought. He remembered seeing on his screen that he had the ability to enchant weapons with Pheonix fire. He didnt know how to do it but he wondered if it would come to him if he just thought about it. Sadly nothing happened for a while.

"What are you doing Yugi?" Atem asked.

"I read that I can enchant weapons. I wanted to see if I could figure out how to do it." Yugi asked. "I kept it quiet in town because the enchantment I can use is called Pheonix fire."

"Nothing seems to be happening." Tea said.

"Yeah… I guess it's not like casting a spell."

"Maybe you need to use fire on it?" Atem suggested.

It was worth a shot so he brought to his fingers little licks of fire and ran his touch down the blade. The symbols burned and glowed until he reached the tip when the whole blade glowed with an eternal flame.

"Wow!" They said in awe. The flame didnt go away but nor did it feel hot.

"I guess that did it!" Yugi said happily.

"What does it do?" Tea asked.

"Umm… I dont know."

They all laughed.

"What?" Yugi asked as he too laughed with them.

"You. I love that you just enchanted your weapon without knowing what it does." Joey laughed.

"I guess he's got to find out some how." Atem giggled.

"Exactly. We wont find out anything if we dont embrace what we have." Yugi said.

"Well said Yugi." Atem said in approval.

"On that note, I cant wait to get into combat! I wanna try out my abilities!" Tristan rejoiced as he punched the air.

"Actually I'm looking forward to that myself. It'll be nice to see what we can all do." Atem agreed.

"We wont have to kill anything right? Just knock them out maybe?" Tea asked.

"I guess we'll find out. But remember Tea everything here is virtual. Only the players are real." Duke reminded her.

"Yeah… your right."

"Hey is this the path?" Mai asked. They stopped at a smaller dirt path branching off the road into some dense trees. No other paths were near and it looked like there were none up ahead.

"Must be it. According to the map we're kinda close. Let's check it out." Duke said as he lead the way.

"Wait. Let me and Joey go first. We're the tanks after all." Tristan said as he pushed himself first.


	7. Chapter 7

They didnt walk far when they found the entrance to the cave buried in trees, moss and vines. They heard birds chirping away and the occasional rustle in the leaves as they passed, spooking lizards and other small creatures. The cave was large and certainly to a child welcoming. Anything could find refuge in here though, making it dangerous for the kid still left here.

"What's the kids name?" Tristan asked from the head of the pack.

"Tyler. Hes about 8." Duke replied. Their voices echoed off the walls along with their foot steps.

"Do we have a torch? It's going to get dark quickly in here."

"It is?" Yugi asked.

"Yeah I can barely see in front of me." Tristan said as he stopped. "Ow. Joey watch it."

"Well dont stop in front of me like that."

"Yugi why dont you bring out your sword? The flames might light the way." Mai suggested.

He did just that and sure enough it did light up the area around them but not by much.

"I can see perfectly fine, let me go ahead and you can follow the sword." Yugi said happily.

"Alright, Yugi you take the lead. Just be careful… wow!" Tristan said as he turned to face them, stopping to look surprised at him.

"What?" They asked and looked behind Yugi.

Atem grabbed him then and turned him to face him gently, blinking in surprise when he did so.

"What, what's wrong?" Yugi asked.

"Your eyes are glowing Yug." Joey said.

"They are?"

"Yeah they're like fire." Atem said in astonishment.

"They're so pretty!" Tea whispered in awe.

"Cool. Maybe another Pheonix perk?" Yugi suggested as he took the lead. "Okay, stay close to one another and watch your step." He noticed behind him lit up a little too and when he looked he saw Atem held a fire ball in his palm and was holding it out slightly so the back end of the line could see their footing. Yugi smiled and started walking.

They walked down a downward slope around winding paths until they reached a large dome room with many path ways.

"What now?" Yugi asked. "There are 4 other tunnels we could take but nothing else here."

"We could split up but we only have two people here who can create light." Duke said.

"Yeah I'm not fond of the idea of walking around in the dark." Tea said.

"Tyler?" Joey called out loudly. His voice boomed off the walls back to them but they heard nothing else after that.

"Joey what if there are monsters in here?" Tea scolded fearfully.

"Relax, if there are any monsters in here I'm sure Yugi will protect you." Mai winked slyly.

"Wait what?" Yugis voice squeaked. Why was she singling him out?

"Are you saying you wont protect her?" Mai said teasingly.

"I mean yeah of course but-"

"See. You'll be fine Tea." Mai giggled.

Yugi had no idea what just happened but as if on queue to save him they heard a small voice call for help.

"Tyler?" He called back. "Were here to help, where are you?"

"Did you hear something?" Tristan asked.

"Shh I heard it too." Duke whispered. "Over here, Yugi can you lead?" Duke said as he pointed in the direction of one of the tunnels. He knew Duke couldnt see the tunnel but he trusted his hearing. He lead the way with Duke behind him and the others quietly followed until Yugi stopped quickly.

"Wait." He said to them. He knelt down and touched the ground. It was wet here and not stone. It was soft to touch, like damp dirt… but something told him it wasnt safe to cross.

"Help me! Some one please! I'm scared!" They heard the boy cry from the other side.

"Tyler! Stay where you are, we're coming to get you." Tea called out.

"What's wrong Yug?" Joey asked.

"The ground here isnt stable. We have to go around I don't think itll support us." Yugi said.

"I can make the jump but I cant see what's beyond." Duke said.

"Are you sure it won't support us" Tristan asked.

"Do you want to test it?" Yugi challenged.

"Let's go around then. There must be another way. If Tyler is on the other side then there has to be another way." Atem said as he turned to lead them back out.

"Atem stop!" Yugi yelled all of a sudden. Immediately he paused as he was told to and froze but unsure why.

"Yugi what's wrong?"

Before him were massive creatures sneaking up on them, but it seemed only he could see them. If they went that way they were bound to be attacked.

"Holy cow!" Joey exclaimed. It seems with his sight he could see them too.

"What is it, what's there?!" Tea asked frightened.

"Guys… come back this way. Very slowly." Yugi warned them. They did as they were told, taking one step at a time backwards until they were a tight group.

"What do we do now Yug?" They cant see them, how are we supposed to fight them?" Joey asked him.

"We dont have a choice. Carefully, one at a time across the path. Stay close to the fall and try not to be heavy on your feet. Atem you first." Yugi said.

"Why me?!" Atem asked, panicked.

"Because you can create light for the others to see."

He sighed grudgingly but agreed. Carefully he stepped onto the dirt and after a few careful steps was able to reach the other side.

"Tristan you next. Tea after him." Yugi said as he kept his eyes on the slowly approaching creatures.

The two of them managed to cross safely and waited anxiously for Mai and and Joey to follow.

"Duke you next when Joey is cleared." Yugi told him.

"You'll be left here alone."

"Not for long, just go." Yugi said.

Once he was across it was Yugis turn. The creatures were close now, and now he could make out the many eyes and tall legs… they were massive spiders, twice the size of him with legs that mandables that could snap him in half.

"Yugi come on." They begged.

He knew as soon as he moved to cross the spiders would attack, but perhaps he could use the trap to his advantage. Spiders could climb walls though, even if they fell theyd find a way to follow. But… perhaps they didnt like fire.

"Duke do you have any oil on you? Or something flammable?" Yugi asked.

"Yes but why?"

"Can you make a line alone the floor please from one wall to the other?"

"Alright but again, why?" Duke asked. He heard him doing it regardless though.

"Done Yugi now will you please get over here."

Yugi turned, jumped as far as he could across the dirt without making it fall and then touched the oil with his blade, quickly making a wall of fire the Spiders could not pass through. They hissed and screamed angrily as their pray evaded them and his friends stood back in fright as they finally saw them.

"Woah!"

"Ahh, no! No no! I want out now!" Tea screamed.

"We have to save Tyler. If those spiders are bereft then theres likely more." Yugi said as he watched the spiders walk away.

"We have to be quick. I dont particularly want to be snuck up on again." Atem said.

Yugi lead the way, jogging now to find Tyler as his friends were close on his heels.

"Help! I'm scared!" They heard him call.

They turned a corner and finally found an opening. A hole in the roof lead to the surface, allowing sunlight to light the room. Here they could see the walls were lined in thick webs, holding skeletons and recently dead animals, armour and various sizes rocks.

They found a Tyler webbed to a stone pillar, his head free but every inch of him otherwise wrapped like a mummy.

"Help me!" He cried as he struggled to get lose.

Yugi cut the webs with his sword, lighting it on fire and it burned. The boy was free and hugged him tightly but they heard hisses and screams as the webs danced.

"That's not good." Tristan said.

"I think we just took their food." Duke said. They stood back to back, the boy clinging to Yugis robe behind him.

"Ah, I think we are their food." Mai said.

"Tyler which way did you come?" Yugi asked him.

"That way, the way you came." Tyler sniffed behind him.

"Okay…"

"That might be the only way Yugi." Atem said.

"Yeah…"

"Yugi, it's the only way we know of. We have to take the kid across the-"

"I know. Okay. Tyler, take my hand. Joey lead the way. Tristan ca-"

A loud screeching echoed off the walls as the spiders surrounded them. Tyler buried himself further into Yugis back, nuzzling into his robe so he couldnt see.

"I'm sorry!" He cried.

"Tea can you take him?" Yugi asked her.

"Yeah. Come here Tyler. I'll protect you." She said sweetly as she touched his shoulder. He took her hand hugged her deeply.

"Dont worry kid, well get you out. Everything's gonna be fine." Joey said strongly.

"We have to fight them." Yugi declared.

"Right." Atem said as he summoned another fireball to his palm.

"Okay… if I can just." Mai said quietly to herself. She held up her hand to one of the spiders and began whispering something in a language he didnt know. The spider buckled, almost bowing to her, closing its eyes and seemingly trying to resist her until eventually it shook, like a dog in water and it approached her.

"Its okay, hes mine now." Mai declared exasperatedly. The spider turned to face the other spiders, standing over them protectively and hissing at its former allies.

The spiders hissed and pounced, resulting one another and the others attacked too. Joey swung his sword at one of them, making it jump back hissing.

Atem threw a fireball at his own one, hitting it square in the face. It screamed and buried its head, trying to put out the flames but he threw another and another until it fled.

Duke disappeared in smoke only to appear on top of one of them to stab it abdomen with his daggers. It screamed and shook him off but Tristan swung at its legs, taking one off and causing it to fall heavily.

"They may look scary but these guys ain't so tough." Tristan said proudly.

Mais spider finally killed the one it had been wrestling with and waited for its next command. As Tristans and Dukes one died and Joey's fell soon after they were finally alone. But it wouldnt be long until more came. They needed to leave now.

"Let's go!" Yugi said as he lead the way back to the tunnel theyd come through.

They found the fire and instinctively he held his hand over it and absorbed it, leaving not even an ember to burn.

"That was cool." Joey said, impressed.

"Carefully over the dirt. Joey first, Tea and Tyler next." Yugi ordered.

They began to cross when he heard more coming.

"Crap, go. Over the thing, carefully." He said as stood protectively between them and the spiders.

Mais spider stood over him, clacking its mandables as the other spiders entered the tunnel.

"My spider will hold them off, Yugi." Mai declared while she was crossing.

"Good thank you."

"Let's go." Atem said to him as they were the last to cross

"Right. You first." Yugi told him. Atem didnt argue, knowing better than do that. He crossed carefully but quickly and Yugi followed, only there was a heavy crash as Mais spider was thrown to the floor by the others and it caused him to step carelessly on the dirt, making it crumble beneathe him. He yelped as he started falling but Atem was there to grab his arm and pull him the rest of the way.

He smiled at him in thanks, grateful and together the whole party ran quickly out of the cave, along the path until finally they were at the side of the road in the daylight.


	8. Chapter 8

They panted and collapsed on the grass, thankful to be out of the cave and Tyler cried in joy and relief.

"Thank you! Thank you so much for rescuing me!" He said happily.

"That's okay kid. Just maybe next time, dont go exploring dangerous caves okay?" Joey said with a thumbs up.

"Right! I promise to be more careful. You wont see me in any more caves!" He said happily.

"We should take him home and make sure he gets there." Tea said.

"Its okay. I can make my way home from here. When you return my father is sure to give you all a big reward for saving me! I'll be sure to let everyone know what you did! Thank you!" Tyler said happily as he ran off towards the town waving good bye to them.

"What a cute kid." Tea said happily.

"Almost makes you want one hey Tea?" Mai winked to which tea blushed.

"Not yet! No thank you!" Tea said with her nose in the air. They giggled though.

"Okay… well I guess we can hand in that quest later. Should we go back to town or keep going to the mountain?" Duke asked.

"Umm… well it's not far. Weve got further to walk to the next town we might as well hand in and then keep going." Yugi suggested.

"Okay. Let's go back… and not pick up another quest that involves caves?" Tea asked.

"Agreed." They all said in unison, giggling.

Four hours to the next town turned into five as apparently the game hadn't anticipated how sore their feet were getting after so much walking and they needed to take frequent breaks. But eventually they reached the town. It was a modest town made of logs and straw, built on dirt paths and farmland. They were able to afford a room for the night after pitching in and purchase time in the bath house as well which they greatly enjoyed. Unfortunately though it was a joined bath house. The boys were going to let the girls go in first but the girls were insistent that it wouldnt matter too much so long as they all wore towels.

Duke didnt mind he actually loved the idea and so did Joey and Tristan but Yugi and Atem were a little uncomfortable. Still they went ahead, undressed and wrapped a towel around themselves. All worries were washed away though as soon as their feet touched the soothingly warm water and they sank into the bath eagerly.

They leant against one another as the steam made their hair heavy and the pain of the days adventures sapped away.

"This is so nice." Yugi said to him breathlessly.

"Yep." Atem agreed.

Trustan and Joey were already splashing one another playfully while Duke sat with his arms draped over the edge of the bath. The girls were still getting ready and hadn't joined them yet so for now Yugi just relaxed against Atem, who equally shared his weight onto him.

"Hey boys save some for us." Mai said a of a sudden. They looked to see her standing in nothing but a towel and Tea stood behind her, also in only a towel.

Yugi blinked widely upon seeing her and looked away quickly, choosing to close his eyes and keep leaning against Atem.

"Mai, join us. Yhe waters great!" Joey said as he splashed her.

She laughed and climbed in, splashing him back playfully.

"Mind if I join you guys?" Tea asked them.

"Not at all, go ahead." Atem said politely. Yugi felt her climb in beside him but he refused to look.

"That feels so good. I cant believe how much walking weve done today." Tea said as she massaged her feet.

"I know we're used to this kind of activity but it is pretty unreal at the same time." Atem chuckled.

"At least this time you dont have a duel disk to lug around." Tea joked and Atem laughed.

"No not this time. But I do have a staff which is just as awkward."

"Hey, guys come play!" Joey called to them.

"I'm good here." Yugi said quietly as he rested.

"Yeah me too. I think I'll just sit here for a while." Tea said happily.

"Okay. Atem, Duke?" Mai asked.

"Yeah alright. Bring it on!" Duke said cockily as he joined in.

"No I think I'll stay-" Atem began to say when they all teamed up to splash him, drenching both he and Yugi in water and disturbing their comfort.

"Okay, if that's how it's going to be." Atem said as he stood to join in.

Yugi shook his hair annoyedly and leaned back again as he watched them all playing. He couldnt stay mad for long though, they looked so happy splashing around, especially Atem. It was rare for him to show so much calm and happiness.

"Its so nice isnt it?" Tea asked him.

"Hmm?"

"Seeing everyone so happy and at ease. I know we were pulled into this world without permission so to speak but it's nice we can still have fun though, you know?"

"Yeah. If it wasnt for how we got put into this world I'd say this is actually a good game. It's super easy to get sucked into it, especially know how little time has passed back home. I mean it's been like an hour and a half back home but like 8 hours have passed here." Yugi said.

"That's so weird to think about. Its gonna be hard to remember that what happens here isnt real." Tea said as she sunk a little further into the water to lean her head against the edge. "They could give us a pillow though." She joked.

Yugi smiled and gulped. He stretched out his arm for her to lean on but looked away as he did so.

"Here, you can use me as a pillow." He said stiffly.

"Oh thank you!" She said as she moved herself so her head was resting against his chest. He blushed heavily and tensed. He only meant for his arm to be used not his body but now she was there he wasnt sure what to do. He couldnt move her, he could relax too much, he couldn't move his arm or hed touch her in likely places he shouldnt be touching her and she was just in a towel with nothing else on underneath and both of them were in the water together this close…

He breathed slowly, trying to calm his mind and she nestled against him. Her hair smelled nice, soothing him. He noticed she was wearing the owl necklace still and that made him smile.

Silently he almost wished the others weren't here. Not that he had any plans of what he could do if they weren't but regardless, if they were alone like this he believed hed feel a little calmer.

"Yugi, are you excited for your special training?" Tea asked.

"Huh? Oh yeah. I mean I'm nervous too. I'm not too happy about leaving you guys for a while but I'm sure itll be worth it, and then I can join you guys when it's over." He said happily.

"I'm sure itll be worth it. Your going to be so strong and cool. I mean not that your not already strong and cool but … uh you know what I mean." Ahe giggled.

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Yugi laughed.

"Were going to train hard too. When you join back up with us, all of us are going to be a force to be reckoned with." Tea said happily.

"Right! And after that we'll be able to figure out how to get back home and find out why we were sent here so forcefully." Yugi said.

"Agreed. Though, I dont entirely mind for the moment. This is nice. We wouldnt be able to do things like this back home."

"What visit a bath like this?" Yugi joked.

"Kinda. Enjoy one together like this." Tea said sweetly.

Yugi blushed again and smiled.

"Right… yeah. Your right. This is nice." He said quietly.

"Ooohhhhh, look at the love birds over there!" Tristan sang as he noticed them. Yugi and Tea both blushed heavily, immediately separated from one another, looking at anything but anyone else.

"Yugi and Tea sitting in a tree!" Joey began to sing.

" G!" Duke, Mai and Tristan continued.

"Shut up guys, it's not like that." Tea scolded them, pouring.

"Uhuh, sure it's not." Joey winked.

"I think I'm ready to get out now anyway and get something to eat." Yugi said as he stood and climbed out of the bath.

Atem watched him leave feeling almost guilty for the part he played. He knew Yugi liked Tea but perhaps pushing them wasnt the healthiest idea.

"You know, food actually sounds good to me. I'm gonna get out too."

"Aww okay." Joey said before he was quickly tackled by Tristan.

He found Yugi getting dressed with the towel draped over his hair, oblivious to his presence as he pulled up his robe.

"Hey Yugi." He said gently to him.

"Hey Atem." Yugi said as he towel dried his hair. "You okay?

"Me? Yeah I'm fine. Are you?" Atem asked as started pulling on his own clothes.

"Yeah I'm good. Just getting a little hot for me in there."

"Hey.. um. I'm sorry for putting you in that situation, Yugi."

"What situation?" Yugi blinked.

"With the singing. I didn't think they were going to draw attention to you both." He said. Yugi blushed and folded the towel neatly.

"Its okay. I know they were playing. No hard feelings." Yugi said finally with a smile. "Wanna come get some food?" He asked.

Atem smiled and nodded.

"Yes, that sounds good to me."


	9. Chapter 9

Sleeping that night came easily. Each had their own single bed in a large room that could have slept 5 more. They were exhausted from the days events and it took no time at all to fall asleep.

The next day they awoke bright and early, enjoyed a healthy breakfast and were soon on the road again north. The sun was shining brightly, the birds sang and played, it was another beautiful day like yesterday.

They were headed as far north as they could make it today, stopping when they needed to and only exploring as far as they could see the road. They looked forward to exploring more but they all, including Yugi wanted to get him his training as soon as possible. Once they could confidently defend themselves they were more than happy to explore but those spiders were hard to beat, and the jaguar Yugi fought when he first got here was intimidating. He didnt particularly fancy fighting something that they weren't prepared for.

As they walked Mai tried to tame a deer which succeeded, so now they walked along side a deer which Tea loved to pet.

They met a few travelling merchants who sold potions and materials for crafting but they had no need for those at the moment. They were able to tell them if they were on the right track though.

They walked all day until they reached the last village before the snow hit. The temperature was getting cooler already and Yugi was already feeling it, so quick as he could after paying for a room he jumped into the hot spring and relaxed. His friends joined him too only this time Tea stayed beside Mai and Atem stayed relaxing beside Yugi, politely refusing to play again like last night. Yugi told him quietly they he could if he wanted to but he insisted he could use the rest.

Yugi stayed in for as long as he could, in the end competing with Joey for how long they could stay in for. Even Atem couldnt handle it and instead left to cool down and eat something. In the end Yugi won but he got out with him anyway and found their friends enjoying some time by the hearth and hot drinks.

"So who won?" Duke asked happily.

"I did." Yugi said proudly.

"Couldnt handle the heat huh?" Tristan joked to Joey as he sat down.

"I'll give you heat!" Joey threatened playfully.

Yugi sat beside Atem.

"Hot cocoa boys?" A maid asked them.

"Not for me thanks. I'm still hot from the bath." Joey said declined politely.

"Yes please." Yugi nodded and gave her 50 silver pieces for it.

"So our destination lies on the other side of these mountains, through the snowy region. Theres a path that will take us directly there, should take us no more than 6 hours." Duke said as he showed them his map.

Yugi felt apprehensive when he saw how close they were to snow. He wasn't sure why, he was used to snow by now but he felt something like an innate fear of it.

"6 hours? Is there no way around?" Tea asked.

"We can. But itll add 2 days onto our journey, or 3 if we go the other way."

"We can do 6 hours. We'll just make sure we're well equipped before we go." Joey said confidently.

"Yeah and with Atems and Yugis magic we shouldnt have a problem keeping warm." Mai said with a wink.

"I'm not the biggest fan of the cold myself but I can handle 6 hours if it means getting Yugi his training sooner." Atem agreed.

"Right. Settled then. This village should sell some gear for travelling in the cold. We'll pick some up and head out tomorrow morning." Duke said happily.

That night Yugi had trouble getting comfortable. There was a fireplace in their room and plenty of blankets for them each but he couldnt get warm enough. He was curled up in his bed as tightly as he could he, hiding full under the covers in Hope's his own breathing would warm him but as the early morning chill began to kill the flames of the hearth he found himself only getting colder. Not even shivering was helping.

Everyone else was sound asleep, cosy and warm enough under their blankets but Yugi was feeling the cold freeze him and it was making him frustrated. They had a long day ahead of them and he was freezing, exhausted and increasingly fearful of what tomorrows weather would bring.

"Yugi." He heard some one whisper from outside his blankets. He peeked out to see Atem bent over, hand hovering over the covers and big worried eyes looking down upon him.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"I'm just cold. Are you okay?" Yugi asked. His voice quivered unexpectedly.

"I'm fine. I noticed you weren't able to get to sleep yet. Mind if I climb in with you?" He asked as he rubbed his arms.

"Sure." Yugi said as he scooted backwards.

When Atem gently took the cover to climb in himself Yugi flinched and shivered violently from the sudden burst of cold. Apparently it was warm under the covers just not warm enough. Thankfully he could immediately feel the heat coming from Atems body and when he was settled he nestled in against him.

"You are cold… but how it's so warm under here." Atem whispered while Yugi cuddled up to him as tightly as he could. "Not even I was using all the blankets we were given."

"I dont know. I'm just f-freezing. Im not looking f-forward to tomorrow." Yugi said quietly.

"Your skins so cold despite being right next to the hearth. Are you okay?" Atem asked him as he felt his forehead with his free hand.

"I'm feeling better now. You're so warm." Yugi yawned. It was so nice to be able to finally stop shivering and actually get comfortable enough to let sleep take over.

"Sleep well Yugi." Atem smiled when he realised Yugi was quickly falling asleep now.


	10. Chapter 10

That morning they were given complimentary cold weather gear and Tea picked up enchanting so she could enchant their gear with more cold resistance before they set out. Immediately the chill in the air coming off the snow bit at Yugis skin even through his heavy snow gear. There were no large winds, the area was rather calm and the path clearly visible so it was easy enough to follow and walk through yet still Yugi trailed in the middle of them. Duke and Tristan lead the way while Joey and Mai walked closely together. Tea walked with her arms folded across her and her head down while Atem followed behind watching Yugi closely. This morning he hadn't said much and looked exhausted as well. He knew he hadn't got much sleep last night but the cold never bothered him this much before and he was worried he was hiding some kind of sickness.

They walked for an hour before they found an abandoned hut on the road. They stopped to investigate as the door was left open but there was no one nearby. Some wood was half chopped around the back of the house as if the owner was in the middle of gathering firewood but where the owner had gone so suddenly was a mystery.

"Maybe he headed back to town to pick something up?" Tea suggested as she rubbed her arms.

"And left the door open?" Duke asked incredulously.

"I've got tracks leading into the trees over there. We could investigate?" Mai suggested.

"Okay, how about Mai and I go, you guys stay here in case he comes back?" Joey suggested.

"Will you guys be okay on your own?" Tea asked.

"Yeah well be fine. We wont be long." Mai said with a thumbs up and they left together following the tracks.

To yugi they looked more like dragging but there was no blood around. Perhaps he was dragging something away into the forest and would be back soon. "Well I'm sure whoever it is wouldnt mind if we waited inside." Duke suggested as he nudged the door open for them.

It was a very small house. The bedroom was partially separated by a thin wall and the rest of the house was a single room with a hearth, a couch and a table for eating at. It was simple, quaint and very old. The hearth had gone out early this morning though, the smell of it still lingered in the air. The owner must have been gathering the firewood for tonight. Dead rabbits were hanging to dry near the hearth, dripping into a pot resting on the floorboards and various herbs and spices were in jars on a shelf nearby. On another shelf were scrolls and papers but no books and candles decorated every other nook and cranny. The windows were glass panels with thin cloth curtains. It would get very cold here at night.

Atem closed the door behind them while Duke tried to light the fire in the hearth but the wood was so charred he couldnt get a spark.

Impatiently Yugi clicked his fingers, magically bringing to life a bright orange flame that danced within the fireplace but burning no wood. Immediately though he felt his strength fall from the effort and he needed to sit down weakly by the fire.

"Yugi, what's wrong?" Tea asked worriedly as she came to crouch beside him.

"I'm okay…. Just…. Cold." Yugi whimpered as he shivered.

"In all that gear?" Duke asked with a cocked brow.

"He was cold last night too. Unusually cold that is." Atem admitted to them, earning himself a tired look from Yugi. He shrugged it off though, his wellbeing was more important than a temporary scowl.

"Hes freezing. You're not coming down with something are you?" Tea asked as she felt his skin.

"I dont… think so… I'm just c-cold."

"Your pulse is pretty slow." Tea said while she counted the beats in his wrist. "Weve got to warm you up somehow. Have you eaten anything unusual?" Tea asked as she pulled him into a tight hug.

"No… what are .. you doing?" He asked.

"Keeping you warm. My healer instincts are telling me that if you get much colder it could be really bad for you."

"That bad huh?" Duke asked. "Well, should we go back?"

"I'm fine. I just need to warm up. I'm okay." Yugi said as he nuzzled into Teas hair. He enjoyed her scent so much it was intoxicating. He could already feel his heart rate increasing as she pressed herself against him. He wasnt feeling much warmer but his energy was returning with her presence. He liked this. If they could stay like this he would be fine.

"Okay well we have to wait for those two to get back anyway." Tristan said. "And they could be longer than we'd like them to be."

"Whys that?" Atem asked innocently.

Tristan and Duke blushed and refused to answer him, leaving him clueless and annoyed.

They were only around half an hour though before they came back, both covered in snow and brushing one another off.

"Well we couldnt find anyone out there." Mai said.

"How hard were you looking?" Duke asked annoyed.

"Hard enough. Theres no one out there. The tracks stopped at the tree line, there was nothing else to follow out there." Joey said.

"What's wrong with Yugi?" Mai asked.

"Yug?"

"Hes very cold. Weve gotta get him moving." Tea said.

"Alright well let's go then. Yug, come on. Race me."

"To… what?" Yugi asked weakly as Atem and Tea helped him stand.

"I dunno, let's just run." Joey said excitedly. He knew what he was doing: trying to get him pumped. He didnt feel like it but he appreciated it all the same.

As they got outside though his legs almost gave out and Joey was there to catch him.

"Woah, Yug. Dude you okay?"

"I'm… fine. Let's just go. The sooner we are through this the … better." Yugi said impatiently as he started leading the way.

"Your not going anywhere lads." A husky voice came from around the corner of the house. A tall man dressed in black thick furs lowered his hood to reveal gruff looking man, thin shaven and scarred. A dirty scowl painted his jaw and his right eye was scarred and milky.

4 others, similarly dressed surrounded them and another 3 aimed bows at them from the roof.

"Where did they come from?" Atem asked no one in particular.

"Who are you people?" Duke asked them.

"Who we are is not important. Who you are though-" one of them said.

"Or rather one in your group." Interrupted another.

"That's a much more interesting story."

"What do you want?" Tea asked bravely.

"Among your group is one who does not belong in low temperatures. If you wanted to kill him there are faster ways." One said.

"But if you don't wish to see him die in this land then youd be best to trust us with him." Another said.

"What are you talking about?" Joey asked.

"If you are rare hunters you're looking in the wrong place. There are no rares among us. Just simple players with a simple desire to cross this snow biome. Leave us be." Atem declared.

"Ah so you either claim ignorance or you do not know. It makes little difference, your friend will be coming with us either way." Said the gruff man.

"Over our dead bodies!" Joey threatened.

"That was the idea." One of the bowman said as he fired an arrow towards them. It hit Joey in his arm, causing him to scream in pain and buckle to his knee immediately.

"Joey!" They screamed.

Tristan brought out his shield to shield them from further attacks and Duke threw a smoke bomb at their feet to try and hide them. Tea moved to Joey to take out the arrow and heal him.

"What do we do?" Mai asked frantically.

"Get inside the hut." Atem ordered them. They moved quickly, barring the door with a chair and moving the shelves over the windows.

"We cant stay in here forever." Mai snapped.

"We need to handle this carefully. They're here for Yugi right?" Duke asked.

"I think that's a safe bet." Tristan said urgentl.

"Okay well Yug you stay inside and keep warm. Atem stay here with him and warm him up with ya fire spells. We will go out and beat these numbskulls to next week." Joey said confidently as he clenched his fist.

"What? Why am I s-staying in here?" Yugi protested.

"Because you cant fight like this Yugi." Atem said to him gently.

"I'm fine. I'm not going to let you fight them without me, especially if it's me they're after." Yugi argued.

"Yugi it's especially because they're after you you should stay in here." Mai said.

"But…"

"we don't have time to argue. Atem keep him here." Tristan said as he raced out of the door. Joey followed quickly, shield and sword in hand.

"Sorry Yugi. Try to get as warm as possible." Tea said as she left too to keep them healed. Duke and Mai left too and closed the door behind them.


End file.
